Nuclear Medicine Technology Exam 1 –
Complete Review & Practice Questions
1. Before tracer administration, all of the following preparations are required for a 27-year old woman
referred for total-body bone imaging except:
a. removing attenuating materials from the patient
b. answering the patient's questions
c. ruling out pregnancy
d. explaining the procedure to the patient
e. swab the injection site with alcohol
a. removing attenuating materials from the patient
not necessary to remove until just before imaging
2. Which of the following structures normally appear as areas of increased activity on the bone images
of children?
a. diaphyses of the long bones
b. breast tissue
c. lumbar spine and cranium
d. costochondral joints and epiphyseal plates
e. metatarsals
d. costochondral joints and epiphyseal plates
these are areas of active bone growth in children
3. If tracer concentration is visualized in the skeleton, stomach, thyroid, and salivary glands on a bone
image, the most likely explanation for these findings is that the:
a. patient was imaged too soon after tracer administration
b. patient's renal function is compromised
c. radiopharmaceutical contained excess free [Tc-99m] pertechnetate
d. incorrect radiopharmaceutical was administered
e. radiopharmaceutical contained excess free [F-18] sodium
,c. radiopharmaceutical contained excess free [Tc-99m] pertechnetate
if the RP was not properly compounded or came unbound, excess pertechnetate will uptake in these
organs
4. For interpretation of nuclear medicine lung images, a chest X ray is required to:
a. rule out possible causes of the patient's symptoms
b. determine cardiac size
c. rule out previous lung surgery
d. rule out a pulmonary embolus
e. rule in a pulmonary embolus
a. rule out possible causes of the patient's symptoms
symptoms of PE are similar to other problems such as rib fracture, MI, and pneumonia
5. The image shown here was obtained after the administration of [Tc-99m] MAA. Which of the
following is the most likely explanation for the quality of this lung perfusion image?
a. The image shows lung pathology.
b. There is radioactive contamination on the patient's skin or the camera detector.
c. Blood clotted to MAA particles was injected intravenously.
d. Too many MAA particles were administered to the patient.
e. A left to right shunt occurred in the heart.
c. Blood clotted to MAA particles was injected intravenously.
blood was drawn back into the syringe and allowed to mix with MAA, and the resulting clumps became
trapped in the lung vasculature
6. The purpose of a charcoal filter in a xenon delivery unit is to absorb:
a. bacteria
b. carbon dioxide
c. xenon gas
d. moisture
e. oxygen
c. xenon gas
charcoal is used to trap [Xe-133] gas for decay
7. Radionuclide venography may be performed with which of the following radiopharmaceuticals?
a. [Tc-99m] pentetate
b. [Tc-99m] pertechnetate
, c. [Tc-99m] exametazime
d. [Tc-99m] mebrofenin
e. [Tc-99m] MAA
e. [Tc-99m] MAA
([Tc-99m] labelled RBCs can also be used.)
After imaging legs with [Tc-99m] MAA, lungs can also be imaged to rue out PE.
8. If ectopic thyroid tissue is suspected, the technologist can expect to find it most commonly in which
of the following areas?
a. in the brain
b. in the skull
c. in the nasopharynx
d. in the mediastinum
e. behind the optic nerve
d. in the mediastinum
(Sublingual thyroid tissue is often associated with hypothyroidism)
9. During parathyroid imaging, images of the chest as well as the neck are obtained to:
a. correct the image series for patient motion
b. visualize substernal thyroid tissue
c. visualize ectopic parathyroid tissue
d. diagnose hyperparathyroidism
e. to localize the parathyroid
c. visualize ectopic parathyroid tissue
10. When performing a gated equilibrium cardiac study, which of the following anatomical views best
separates the right and left ventricles?
a. left lateral
b. left anterior oblique
c. left posterior oblique
d. anterior
e. posterior
b. left anterior oblique
separation is important for accurate EF calculation, and is usually achieved with approximately 35-45
degree rotation, though this varies with patient anatomy
11. In preparation for a [Tl-201] stress test, patients are instructed to fast to:
Complete Review & Practice Questions
1. Before tracer administration, all of the following preparations are required for a 27-year old woman
referred for total-body bone imaging except:
a. removing attenuating materials from the patient
b. answering the patient's questions
c. ruling out pregnancy
d. explaining the procedure to the patient
e. swab the injection site with alcohol
a. removing attenuating materials from the patient
not necessary to remove until just before imaging
2. Which of the following structures normally appear as areas of increased activity on the bone images
of children?
a. diaphyses of the long bones
b. breast tissue
c. lumbar spine and cranium
d. costochondral joints and epiphyseal plates
e. metatarsals
d. costochondral joints and epiphyseal plates
these are areas of active bone growth in children
3. If tracer concentration is visualized in the skeleton, stomach, thyroid, and salivary glands on a bone
image, the most likely explanation for these findings is that the:
a. patient was imaged too soon after tracer administration
b. patient's renal function is compromised
c. radiopharmaceutical contained excess free [Tc-99m] pertechnetate
d. incorrect radiopharmaceutical was administered
e. radiopharmaceutical contained excess free [F-18] sodium
,c. radiopharmaceutical contained excess free [Tc-99m] pertechnetate
if the RP was not properly compounded or came unbound, excess pertechnetate will uptake in these
organs
4. For interpretation of nuclear medicine lung images, a chest X ray is required to:
a. rule out possible causes of the patient's symptoms
b. determine cardiac size
c. rule out previous lung surgery
d. rule out a pulmonary embolus
e. rule in a pulmonary embolus
a. rule out possible causes of the patient's symptoms
symptoms of PE are similar to other problems such as rib fracture, MI, and pneumonia
5. The image shown here was obtained after the administration of [Tc-99m] MAA. Which of the
following is the most likely explanation for the quality of this lung perfusion image?
a. The image shows lung pathology.
b. There is radioactive contamination on the patient's skin or the camera detector.
c. Blood clotted to MAA particles was injected intravenously.
d. Too many MAA particles were administered to the patient.
e. A left to right shunt occurred in the heart.
c. Blood clotted to MAA particles was injected intravenously.
blood was drawn back into the syringe and allowed to mix with MAA, and the resulting clumps became
trapped in the lung vasculature
6. The purpose of a charcoal filter in a xenon delivery unit is to absorb:
a. bacteria
b. carbon dioxide
c. xenon gas
d. moisture
e. oxygen
c. xenon gas
charcoal is used to trap [Xe-133] gas for decay
7. Radionuclide venography may be performed with which of the following radiopharmaceuticals?
a. [Tc-99m] pentetate
b. [Tc-99m] pertechnetate
, c. [Tc-99m] exametazime
d. [Tc-99m] mebrofenin
e. [Tc-99m] MAA
e. [Tc-99m] MAA
([Tc-99m] labelled RBCs can also be used.)
After imaging legs with [Tc-99m] MAA, lungs can also be imaged to rue out PE.
8. If ectopic thyroid tissue is suspected, the technologist can expect to find it most commonly in which
of the following areas?
a. in the brain
b. in the skull
c. in the nasopharynx
d. in the mediastinum
e. behind the optic nerve
d. in the mediastinum
(Sublingual thyroid tissue is often associated with hypothyroidism)
9. During parathyroid imaging, images of the chest as well as the neck are obtained to:
a. correct the image series for patient motion
b. visualize substernal thyroid tissue
c. visualize ectopic parathyroid tissue
d. diagnose hyperparathyroidism
e. to localize the parathyroid
c. visualize ectopic parathyroid tissue
10. When performing a gated equilibrium cardiac study, which of the following anatomical views best
separates the right and left ventricles?
a. left lateral
b. left anterior oblique
c. left posterior oblique
d. anterior
e. posterior
b. left anterior oblique
separation is important for accurate EF calculation, and is usually achieved with approximately 35-45
degree rotation, though this varies with patient anatomy
11. In preparation for a [Tl-201] stress test, patients are instructed to fast to:
